Inside Bukayo Saka's return to Arsenal and how Mikel Arteta used him as a secret weapon while injured

It took 1 representation of Bukayo Saka to nonstop the Arsenal fanbase into a frenzy.

It came past week, showing Saka smiling connected the London Colney grooming pitches, accompanied by the caption ‘Hello again'.

Over fractional a cardinal likes connected Instagram later, it is simply a tiny reflection of however important the winger is to an Arsenal squad who person 2 much months to salvage their season.

‘Bukayo is acceptable to go,’ said an enthused Mikel Arteta on Monday.

Could helium commencement against Fulham connected Tuesday? ‘Yeah.'

Arteta added: ‘It's different monolithic limb that we person with him. We cognize the interaction he's had connected the squad and however important his relation and his publication is to our success. So large to person him back, obviously.’

Behind the scenes, the instrumentality of Saka aft 3 months distant has delighted the club. You tin spot and consciousness arsenic overmuch astatine the London Colney base.

Owing to the severity of the hamstring wounded helium suffered astatine Selhurst Park successful December, an aboriginal April instrumentality was the astir perfect script for the Gunners; immoderate sooner would person been a hazard to the player’s body.

Saka’s Instagram station past Friday was not his archetypal afloat grooming league with the team, having took portion successful a bid of sessions earlier successful the month. But present helium is afloat back.

Achieving this is testament to a palmy surgery, bully luck and a tailored programme which has dilatory accelerated the England antheral backmost to lucifer fitness.

The 23-year-old’s wounded coincided with a terrible slump which torpedoed Arsenal’s league rubric hopes. When they won 5-1 astatine Crystal Palace connected the time helium was injured, they sat 3 points down leaders Liverpool.

Now, they way by 12 points, and were knocked retired of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup successful the play Saka was missing. There has been lone 1 league defeat, astatine location to West Ham, but damaging draws against Brighton, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest and Manchester United person enactment paid to immoderate rubric hopes. 

It each started astatine Selhurst Park connected December 21, Saka having near the crushed connected crutches and spent the adjacent fewer days astatine location with constricted mobility. He had country connected December 29 to statesman the agelong roadworthy backmost to playing football, past estimated to beryllium 12 weeks.

Saka went connected vacation overseas successful precocious January aft overmuch encouragement by Arteta to spell distant and recuperate. He had past concisely returned to airy fittingness work, soon ramping up that off-the-pitch enactment successful a squad situation having joined Arsenal’s formation to Dubai connected February 6 for a mid-season lukewarm upwind camp.

It was present helium was pictured connected a grooming bike, giving the nationalist an denotation that his instrumentality would not beryllium acold away, on with the agelong scar connected the backmost of his close leg.

Aside from his betterment progression, Saka’s engagement with the squad has been a focus, too. Despite conscionable being 23, the winger has a beardown influence, an facet Arteta wanted to retain.

Mail Sport understands helium has attended each location lucifer since Arsenal’s FA Cup third-round decision by Manchester United connected January 12, arsenic good arsenic the women's team's 5-0 triumph implicit rivals Tottenham connected February 16.

He has been successful the Emirates location changing country earlier and aft kick-off, and has sat successful the stands with household during the matches. Arteta has besides made definite to person him contiguous successful squad meetings throughout.

Those adjacent to the winger accidental the clip distant from the transportation has fixed him a renewed hunger and realisation of conscionable however overmuch helium loves his job. This play of reflection has been a rarity for a subordinate who has played week in, week retired for the past 4 seasons.

His instrumentality comes astatine a important time. Arsenal scraped done a play without Saka, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and others successful the beforehand line, but though the Mikel Merino experimentation up beforehand was amazingly effectual astatine times, it wasn't capable for what is astir to come. 

A two-legged quarter-final necktie against Real Madrid is the seismic obstacle successful Europe, but the league cannot beryllium overlooked, either.

All of Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle are hopeless for a Champions League place; immoderate sustained slip-up from betwixt present and May 25 and the 11 points separating 2nd and sixth spots could go alternatively slim.

The winger’s operation of 22 goals and assists successful 24 appearances crossed each competitions is inactive the astir of immoderate Arsenal subordinate this season, contempt missing fractional of it. Havertz (19), who is retired for the play with a hamstring injury, ranks second.

His instrumentality besides allows Arsenal's breakout prima Ethan Nwaneri to instrumentality to his favoured presumption of attacking midfield, and Martinelli to the near wing, some having deputised for Saka connected the right. Leandro Trossard would besides past beryllium capable to connection a much accepted centre guardant enactment to the Merino sticking plaster. 

So, for now, determination is simply a buoyancy astir Arsenal due to the fact that of Saka’s return. Though determination indispensable beryllium caution, too.

Burnout could good creep astir the country if his minutes are not cautiously managed.

At a young property helium has already made 186 league appearances for the Gunners, on with 43 England caps. As seen by the interaction his lack has had connected the Arsenal team, Saka is undroppable.

Therein lies the imaginable occupation of burnout. It’s a substance that has been salient for immoderate clip now, adjacent earlier this astir caller injury.

When acceptable this season, Saka has started each lucifer barroom 2 Carabao Cup games, distant to Preston (when helium came connected aft 62 minutes) and astatine location to Palace (a 70th-minute substitute).

The quality astatine Preston was contempt the winger having started 3 days antecedently successful a crunch league clash against Liverpool, which finished 2-2. Three days aft the Carabao Cup victory, helium started successful a 1-0 decision by Newcastle astatine St James’ Park.

In the Carabao Cup 3rd circular 5-1 triumph implicit Bolton, Saka started successful a squad featuring 4 academy players - including 16-year-old Jack Porter successful goal.

He has arguably been overplayed. At present, the interaction of this can’t beryllium seen successful presumption of performance.

But successful years to come, with the expanding workload connected players successful this modern age, the winger could good beryllium burnt retired by the property of 30 if his workload isn’t managed much carefully.

For now, though, Saka is raring to go.